Pelfrey wins season opener on Lake Cumberland

MONTICELLO, Ky. – The 2004 Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Mountain Division season kicked off Saturday on Lake Cumberland near Monticello, and Jonathan Pelfrey of Rockwood, Tenn., claimed the win thanks to a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 12 ounces. He bested 198 Boater Division competitors to earn $4,986 and 200 points.

Pelfrey caught his tournament-winning bass flipping a jig. The tournament was his first career BFL event.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Craig Delk of Stanford (four bass, 15 pounds, 14 ounces, $2,493); John Devere of Berea (five bass, 13 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,695); Mark Denney of Eubank (four bass, 11 pounds, 12 ounces, $1,296); and Rex Pendergrass of Bristol, Tenn. (five bass, 11 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,097).

Mitchell Atkinson of Betsy Layne claimed Boater Division big-bass honors and $990 thanks to a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass that he caught on a black and blue jig. Devere earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Denny Cole of Rockwood, Tenn., earned $2,493 as the Co-angler Division winner thanks to a three-bass catch that weighed 11 pounds, 9 ounces. He edged past 198 Co-angler Division competitors thanks to a crankbait he fished around rocky points.

Rounding out the top four co-anglers are Michael Johnson of Bristol, Va. (four bass, 11 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,247); Thomas Hartley of Elizabethton, Tenn. (four bass, 10 pounds, 3 ounces, $848); and Wayne Leffew of Clinton, Tenn. (four bass, 9 pounds, 13 ounces, $648). Tied for fifth were Darryl Mayton of Rockwood, Tenn., and Brad Roberts of Nancy. Both men caught three bass weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces that earned each of them $498.

Kelly Barrett of Richmond earned $495 as the Co-angler Division big-bass winner with a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass that was caught casting a jig to the bank.

The Mountain Division’s next stop will be April 24 on Dale Hollow Lake. Each BFL division features four one-day events followed by a two-day Super Tournament to round out the regular season. The top 30 Mountain Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Wheeler Lake regional near Rogersville, Ala., Oct. 19-23, where they will compete against Bulldog, LBL and Shenandoah division anglers for a slot in the 2005 All-American. The winning boater at the All-American receives $100,000 cash, making it one of the most lucrative and prestigious championship events in bass fishing.

Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings. The Mountain Division boater who amasses the most points at the end of the regular season will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader, and the co-angler earning the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points leader in the Co-angler Division.

The $6.3 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 24 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com’s sponsor page.